Management of the Lagoon Hospitals, Lagos has emphasised the need to prioritise primary healthcare services in Nigeria with a view to improving access as well as ensure excellence in healthcare delivery.  To this end, the hospital has inaugurated a state-of-the art Primary healthcare Outpatient Complex on its Apapa premises.

 

Speaking in Lagos, the Chief Operating Officer, of the Lagoon Hospitals, Dr. Naseem Mohammed who was of the view that healthcare delivery in the country cannot improve without a functional primary healthcare system said good primary health system would help the country to meet the numerous health challenges of the country. Primary Healthcare system is a conscious strategy to meet the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs, 4, 5 and 6 targeted at women and children.”

 

“As the demand for quality healthcare continues to grow and to create access to Nigerians, Lagoon Hospitals is always looking at ways to best meet the needs of patients.  The Primary Healthcare Department is a unique concept that is devoted to the first level of care for patients.  With these new facilities patients will receive extremely efficient and cost-effective care.

 

Services available in this department include adult and children’s general out-patient services, wound dressing, Immunization clinics, laboratory services, pre-employment and other selective screening examinations”. Also speaking, the Chairman of Hygeia Nigeria Limited, Mrs. Fola Laoye stated that strengthening primary health system will ensure efficiency as well as proactive to the needs of Nigerians particularly the women and children.

 

“We will continue our pioneering work in Healthcare Delivery in Nigeria. This is a model devised to highly improve access to high quality healthcare for the average Nigerian and largely meets the needs of the country’s present Healthcare needs.  All our locations, Apapa, Ikeja and Victoria Island, will be delivering this service. Primary Healthcare services help us to work closely with our patients, reduce waiting times, enhance customer service and clinical quality. This complements the needs of those who require our superspecialty services as Lagoon is one of the only few centers offering advanced specialty care.”

 

The Group Clinical Adviser, Dr. Jimmy Coker further disclosed that the hospital has implemented Electronic Medical Record (EMR) in the quest for excellence. The EMR in Lagoon Hospitals has remained very successful and effective tool in improving the delivery of care to new levels.  On his part, Dr. Jide Ojo, Head, EMR, said the system facilitates continuous improvement in healthcare delivery by capturing structured information and by enabling active decision support through the ability to access and interrogate medical data. According to him, the system is operational in all the hospitals’ departments.